Help Me To Heal
by FallingStarsAndPaperFlowers
Summary: CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN. AU in which the fairies are human. When Holly Short runs into the mysterious Artemis Fowl on a rainy night in the park, they soon become friends. As they continue to grow closer, will romance blossom between them? Can Holly help Artemis through his pain? Artemis x Holly. Warning: Contains Suggestions of Child Abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm FallingStarsAndPaperFlowers, call me Star though. This is my first Artemis Fowl fanfiction, even though I fell in love with the series a few years ago. Anyways, I'm really excited about it. Updates will on Wednesdays or Saturdays, depending on when I get the chapters done. Enjoy!**

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_Chapter 1_

**Holly POV**

Thunder rumbled as rain pounded onto the sidewalk, sounding like a thousand footsteps. Anyone who was still outside was running for shelter from the storm, with myself as an exception.

I walked at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk, in no hurry to get home. The cold rain was much preferable to the small, empty apartment I inhabited. The silence in there was maddening, and often times I would do anything to get away from it.

Continuing on, I found my way to the park. Walking over to the small duck pond, its surface rippling with each drop, I noticed a dark figure sitting on a swing. I squinted against the fog, trying to make out the person. I allowed myself to walk closer, confident the constant drum of the rain would conceal my footsteps.

I studied the person on the swing, a young boy. I guessed he was about my age, even if I couldn't see his face. His raven black hair was soaked, and sticking to his bowed head. Growing curious, I walked over and sat down on the swing next to him.

He looked up at me in surprise for a couple seconds, before returning his gaze downward.

"Hello." I said

He didn't respond and I repeated the greeting just in case the rain had washed out my words.

He looked back up at me again, and I gasped as I looked into his eyes. They were a deep, electric blue - a color I had never seen in someone's eyes. I looked closer, and saw a deep sadness he was trying so hard to hide, and my features softened. I offered him a smile, which he returned slightly, before he stood up and walked away.

I watched him go, staring as his figure faded in the distance. I had never seen such grief in someone's eyes before, and I looked down at my hands. Sighing, I stood up and began walking back towards my old apartment. Here would come another night of solitude.

Stepping into the dark room, I took off my sopping coat and hung it on the rack. Slipping out of my shoes, I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Stripping off my wet cloths, I stepped into the warm water and found my thoughts sliding back to the incident at the park.

Who was that man?

He was mysterious, that was for sure. He had definitely heard me, but he hadn't answered. And that look in his eyes. How could someone be so sad? I didn't think it was possible...

I sighed, and shook my head, pushing the strange encounter out of my mind. I had more important things to think about than a mysterious boy.

My job was currently on the line. Having dropped out of high school when my parents died in a crash, I was stuck working as a waitress at a small diner. The head chef, Julius Root, who had gained the nick-name Beet Root for his seemingly continuous red face, had not been happy with me that day. I had dropped a customers dish on the floor, just barely missing the poor man himself.

After a loud scolding, Root had put me on dish washing duty, where I would be for the next week. This was my last chance, another mistake and he would have to let me go. I knew he would never actually do that, but the threat was still there.

Root was almost always yelling at someone - whenever he wasn't cooking, at least. Even with his temper though, I had lucked out. After listening to my story, and seeing my determination, he had given me a job in his restaurant, and paid the first few months rent for my apartment until I could get back on my feet. I owed that man everything, and I couldn't let him down again.

Sighing, I finished washing my hair and hopped out of the shower. After toweling off and getting dressed in my pajamas, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I wasn't anything special, just average. My hazel eyes were large and - in my opinion - my best feature, and my red hair was cut in a short bob that framed my face.

Shaking my head, I brushed my teeth and hopped onto my bed. As I stared at the ceiling, I found my thoughts drifting back towards the boy in the park. He'd looked about my age; 17. I couldn't be sure though. _I wonder what his name is?_ I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up and stretched. A small smile spread across my face as I remembered what day it was. It was Saturday, that meant I had a day off of work and could do whatever I wanted. Standing up and stretching, I changed my clothes and grabbed my wallet. It was a nice day. I decided to go to the coffee shop down the corner and grab a bite to eat there.

I was in a strangely good mood as I walked into the cafe and took my place in line. My happiness quickly faded as my phone buzzed with a new text. I took it out of my pocket and looked to see what it said.

**Hey Holly,  
I need to talk to you.  
It's important.  
Meet me in the park in five minutes. **

**~ Trouble **

I sighed, and pocketed my phone. Looked like I wasn't getting coffee right that minute.

Exiting the store, I jogged down to the park and saw Trouble - my current boyfriend - standing there. "Hey." I said "What'd you need to talk about?"

Trouble looked nervous and motioned for me to sit with him on the bench.

"Well um... I think we should break up." he said

I nodded, my face falling a bit. "Yeah. I agree. It wasn't really working out." I replied

I heard him release a breath. "Thanks for not freaking out." he said

"No problem. Let's still be friends though. It would be awkward at work if we weren't."

He nodded, and smiled. "How have you been lately? We haven't talked in a while." he asked

"I'm pretty good. You?" I asked, trying to ignore the awkward air between us.

"I'm about the same." he said

I nodded, and we sat there in silence before I stood up and stretched. "Well, I'd better get going. It was good talking with you Trouble."

He nodded, and we gave each other a quick hug before I turned away and began walking back to the cafe.

Entering the door, I wasn't paying much attention and ran smack into the person heading the opposite way, effectively spilling his coffee all over his white dress shirt. "Sorry!" we both said at the same time.

I looked up, and my eyes widened, as did his familiar electric blue ones. "It's you!" I said "From the park last night."

He nodded, and scratched the back of his head. "Eh... I apologize for running off on you like that. I was having a hard time and had not wanted to be near anyone at that moment. It was extremely rude of me."

I nodded, and flicked my hand. "It's fine. Besides, I think we're even now." I said, looking at his shirt again

He looked down as well and nodded. "Looks like we are." he laughed, throwing his now crushed cup away.

I shook my head and grabbed his arm, leading him back inside the cafe. "Here, let me buy you another drink. It's the least I can do after making you spill your first one."

He shook his head in return. "No. I assure you it's fine. You don't have to buy me a drink." he said

"Nope. I'm buying you a drink whether you like it or not." I stated

He sighed in defeat and followed me back to the line.

"I'm Holly, by the way. Holly Short." I said, holding out my hand for him to shake.

He grabbed my hand and gave it a firm shake - I swear I felt some sort of spark travel between us.

"Artemis. Artemis Fowl. Nice to meet you Holly." he said

"You too." I flashed him a smile, and we stepped up to order our drinks.

Sitting down at an unoccupied table, I sipped at my coffee and watched Artemis do the same. "So... what was up with you yesterday? I mean I don't want to be rude, and you don't have to answer me if you don't want to. I'm just curious." I said

He nodded. "You're curiosity is justified. If you must know, I was simply having some family troubles, that's all."

I nodded and took another sip of my drink. We sat in silence, and even though I felt it should be awkward, it wasn't. "How old are you?" I asked

"17. You?" he replied

"Same."

He nodded. "Where do you go to school? I've never seen you around before." he asked

I looked down. "Erm, well... I don't really go to school. Some stuff happened about a year ago, and I had to drop out. I want to go back, but I've got a full time job now and my own apartment. I don't have time for it."

Artemis nodded, and didn't make a big deal of it - which I was thankful for. "I see. I'm sure you could get back in any time you wanted though, you seem very smart. Where do you work, if I may ask?" he asked

"Thanks. I work at a small cafe a couple blocks away. It's a cute little place called 'Haven City'. No idea why it was named that, but it works." I replied

He nodded. "I don't think I've ever been there. I should try it some time."

I smiled. "You should. The food is delicious. Do you work anywhere?" I asked

He shook his head. "Not currently. I am mainly focusing on school and a few other things. After I graduate, I'll be looking for one though; something to help pay my way through college." he replied

I nodded. "Well, you've sure got a plan. What are you wanting to study?" I asked

"A few things. Psychology, physics, medicine. Maybe even music if I have the time."

"Oh, do you play any instruments?" I asked

"Piano, guitar and a few others. I can sing too, but I prefer not to. I don't like my voice all that much."

"Do you enjoy music?"

"Yes, but my father told me it was a waste of my time. It's a side thing now - just a hobby."

I nodded, but felt sad. What a nice father he had.

He checked his watch and swore under his breath. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Do you think we could meet up again sometime? I'd like to get to know you better." he said

I grinned. "Sure. How's... Tuesday at five thirty? That's about when I get off work, so it should work."

Artemis nodded. "Sound good. See you Holly. Thank you for the drink." he said

I nodded. "No problem. See you!"

I watched him walk out the door and sighed. Something was strange about him, he seemed to be shrouded in mystery even after talking with him. I found myself wanting to know more about him. Strange, I normally don't care about others.

Standing up and throwing my cup away, I realized just how different the situation was for me. I had never made friends on my own before, I didn't really speak to people much. I couldn't help but wonder...

Just what had I gotten myself into?

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**Hello again! So, how was it? Sorry Artemis and Holly are kind of OOC, especially Artemis. I did it for the sake of the story. Please, review. I'd love to know what you guys think about this. I've got a lot of ideas in my head for this story right now, I'm really excited for it. If you guys have any ideas too, I'd love to hear them. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyo! I got a pretty good response to the first chapter, so I decided to post the next one today. My posting is going to be a bit irregular, but I can promise you it will be Wednesdays and Saturdays, so there's at least a bit of a schedule. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, followed, and just read my story. **

**I realized I didn't put this in the first chapter, so I'll put it in now, and I'll put it in once - **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl. The characters belong to Eoin Colfer. The only thing I own is the plot of this story, and I make no money off of it.**

**Enjoy!**

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_Chapter 2_

**Holly POV**

As the days went on, I found myself constantly thinking about Artemis, and waiting for Tuesday. I had no idea why I was so excited, I had only just met him.

When Tuesday finally came, I found myself growing more and more anxious as the day wore on. Sighing, I looked down at the dishes I was washing. I was extremely bored and just wanted the day to be over with - even though I knew I deserved it. In truth, I mainly just wanted to see Artemis again. I kept picturing his face in my head, focusing mainly on his eyes. It must be impossible to have eyes so blue.

I began to think about what might happen when I met with Artemis. I wanted to see him so badly, I had a feeling that I would tackle him in a hug as soon as I saw him. I imagined meeting him in the little coffee shop, getting the same drinks we had gotten the last time, along with a muffin for each of us. We would talk, and laugh, as if we'd known each other for years. We would make eye contact, and I would find myself staring into those beautiful eyes, completely captivated. He would slide his hand forward on the table, just enough to let it rest right next to mine, and a spark would fly between us. Shaking and nervous, I would intertwine our fingers together...

Shaking my head violently, I scolded myself. I couldn't be thinking that way about someone I had just met. I couldn't deny that I felt a certain attraction towards him, but I was sure it was simple friendship. I had just recently gotten out of a relationship, I wasn't ready to move on yet.

"Are you okay, Holly? You seem a bit out of it today."

I jumped, and twisted my body around, trying to see who was behind me. My eyes fell on the familiar face of Vinyaya, one of my coworkers.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind, you know?' I said

She nodded, and looked at me suspiciously before turning back to her work. I sighed and looked back down at the dishes I was supposed to be cleaning. This was going to be a long day.

Once my shift was over, I walked out of 'Haven City' and walked slowly in the direction of the cafe I was meeting Artemis at. I still had twenty minutes until I had to be there, and I remembered some earlier events from that day.

Root had called me into his office, where he had told me since I was doing well on the dishes, I could return to waitress duty on Thursday. A fond smile tugged on my face at the memory of Root trying to keep from shouting, while his face was getting redder and redder. A small chuckle escaped me, I really owed that man a lot.

Finding myself at the door to the cafe, I walked in to find an empty table. Artemis wouldn't be there for another ten minutes - if she was right in her assumption that he liked to be right on time to things. Deciding against ordering a coffee without him, I dug my book out of my bag and began reading, waiting for the strange boy to show up.

Exactly ten minutes later, I looked up at the sound of footsteps and found myself looking straight into those familiar blue eyes. I was frozen for a few seconds, holding my breath, unwilling to break the contact. Eventually, I looked away and smiled. "Hey." I said

He returned my smile, and sat down in the seat across from me. "Hello. How are you Ms. Short?" he asked politely

I scrunched up my face at the 'Ms.' and shook my head. "Just call me Holly." I said. "I'm fine, you?"

He smiled again. "Okay, Holly." He said. I couldn't help but think about how much I loved hearing him say my name, and internally slapped myself.

"I'm doing fairly okay." he answered

I nodded. "How's that family thing going?" I asked

He sighed, and shook his head. "Not too good. It will blow over eventually."

I smiled sympathetically, and stood up to order a coffee and a muffin, Artemis following suit. We waited in line together, and our shoulders brushed across each others for a moment, and I found myself holding my breath, longing for the contact again. Shaking my head lightly so he wouldn't see, I felt a blush grow on my face, slapped myself in my mind again. I had to stop thinking like this.

Hoping Artemis hadn't noticed my internal struggle with my thoughts, I ordered my coffee and sat back down, watching Artemis as he sipped his.

**Artemis POV**

After our first official meeting on Saturday, I found myself constantly thinking about the fiery red head that now sat in front of me once again. I found myself silently longing for Tuesday to come, so I could meet with her again. I had no idea why I was so anxious to see her, and was beginning to doubt my sanity for some completely stupid reason.

I felt completely horrible for our first encounter on that rainy night where I had ran away from her, too upset to even think about speaking to anyone. It was rude of me, but to be fair, I was having a hard time. My father had gone missing two weeks ago in Russia, and it had affected my mother... intensely. She began spiraling down into depression and delirium, withdrawing into memories in order to avoid the cruelty of reality.

Day by day she had gotten worse, responding less each time I tried to hold a conversation with her. Eventually, she stopped recognizing me as a son, and believed I was a simple stranger that had somehow found a way into her house.

The first time this had happened was, conveniently, the day I first saw Holly. I had walked up to her room to give her dinner, and had had a vase thrown at my head. Of course it had missed, my mother being delirious, but it still hurt. She had yelled at me to leave her house that instant, or she would call the police, and I had done the only sensible thing to do. I put her dinner on her dresser, and walked out of the door into my study, completely ignoring the look of worry from my large manservant, Domovoi Butler.

A few hours later, I had found myself in the music room - I place I hadn't been in for years, ever since my father told me to leave such a silly thing alone. I sat down at the grand piano, shiny and sleek even with the lack of use. Placing my hand on the keys and pressing down, it had sounded perfectly in tune, even after having been left to sit for years.

Slowly, I had begun to play. A sad, melodious tune flowed from the beautiful instrument, and I found emotions that I had shoved away making their appearance once again. As I finished the melody, a single tear slipped down my face, and I left the manor for a walk. The house was so empty, I had needed to leave.

Finding my way to the park, I met Holly. Afraid that I would break down if I allowed myself to talk to anyone, I had chosen the cowardly way out - I ran.

After bumping into her at the coffee shop, I apologized for my rude behavior, and allowed her to buy me a new drink after spilling mine - after some argument. We had talked, and I found myself growing fond of her. It wasn't often that I met someone of my own age that I could really hold a conversation with.

She had suggested we meet again, which led me to where I was then.

I walked into the cafe at precisely four thirty, and found my way over to where she was sitting, drawn into her book. At the sound of my footsteps, she looked up. We stared at each other for a few moments before she broke into a smile and greeted me.

After some conversation, we had gotten up to get some coffee. Our shoulder brushed together, and I felt a spark travel between us - like the first time we made contact. I looked at Holly and frowned, noticing her frustrated face and slight blush. I decided not to mention it and continued on, ordering my coffee.

Sipping lightly at the hot drink, I looked at the book sitting on the table. I picked it up, and looked at the title. I lifted my eyebrow, and looked at her curiously.  
" 'Heal my broken heart'?" I asked

She shook her head. "Don't ask. A friend of mine made me read it. It's okay, but not really the type of thing I normally like to read." she said, wrinkling her nose

I chuckled, and set the book down, taking another sip of my drink. "Well, what do you like to read then?" I asked her

"Hmm... I read a lot of mysteries. And sci-fi. That's mainly it. I've never been a huge fan of the whole mushy romance stuff. Not really my thing." she said

I smiled. "Good choice. I read a few mysteries, though I haven't really gotten into sci-fi yet. There is one book series though, involving fairies that are completely different from the stereotype. One of them even has the same name as you. I read non-fiction too, mainly biographies." I said

She nodded and smiled. "I think I've read that book. The one where the fairies live underground?"

I nodded, glad someone else knew what I was talking about. Not many people knew about the books.

She placed her hand on the table, and I had the strange urge to reach out and take it in my own. I shook my head slightly. What was I thinking? I really was going insane.

She looked at me strangely, and I realized I had been staring at her. I shook my head. "Sorry. I've got a lot of things on my mind." I explained

She nodded, but still seemed suspicious. I sighed lightly, and checked the time. I frowned as I saw how late it was. Looking outside, I noticed the faint signs of sunset beginning. I sighed again, and gave Holly an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I have to go, I have some things I need to take care of. I think I'll stop by 'Haven City' sometime this week. I've looked it up, and it does look good."

She nodded, and smiled at that. "Come over Thursday or Friday, and I'll make sure to be your waitress. If you come a little before four, I can join you. That's when my shift ends." she said

I nodded. "Alright. I'll come Thursday around three forty-five then." I said

She smiled and nodded. "See you!" she said

I chuckled at her enthusiasm, and left the cafe, walking back to my manor.

Entering the mansion, I walked to the attic to check on my mother. Ever since she had receded into her mind, she'd holed herself up in there and refused to come out.

Walking into the room quietly, I stepped in next to my mothers bed; unconsciously stepping away from the vines on the carpet. Standing next to my mother's frail form, I sighed. "Hello mother." I said quietly

She opened her eyes and squinted up at me. "Who are you?" she asked "Why did you call me your mother?"

I sighed again. "It's me mother, it's Artemis."

She shook her head. "No, you're not my Arty. I'd recognize him in a heartbeat. Now leave my room at once, and send that nice servant Juliet in. I'm hungry." she said, looking at the closed blinds.

I sighed, and did as I was told. I asked Juliet, Butler's little sister, to bring up my mother some dinner, and walked into my room. Locking the door, I flopped down on my bed and curled up into a ball. I'd never show such weakness in front of someone, but I was alone at the moment. Sighing, I closed my eyes and willed sleep to overtake me. I just wanted my life to go back to normal. I wanted my father to be back home. I wanted my mother to be alright again.

I wanted to be rid of the bitter darkness that had formed inside me, haunting my every breath - even in my sleep.

I wanted to be rid of the pain.

I wanted to heal.

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**So there's a bit of angst in the chapter, and there will be more to follow. I'm sorry, it's physically impossible for me to write a story without at least a little angst.**

**How was it? I'd love to know. Feel free to leave a review! The more I get, the faster I'll want to post new chapters, and constructive criticism is always welcome! Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! So I was going to wait until Saturday to post the next chapter, but I really wanted to post today. I'm really happy with the response I'm getting for this story. Thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed! **

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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**Artemis POV**

As the days went on, I found myself waiting for the chance to go to 'Haven City'. I was genuinely interested in trying the food there - I had heard good things about it - but I couldn't deny why I really wanted to go.

I wanted to see Holly.

That was a strange notion to me, I had never in my life been excited to see anyone other than my father when he came home from one of his long business trips. So the fact that I was waiting for Thursday with growing impatience was odd.

I couldn't ignore the fact that I liked her. She was different. She was something new. When I was with her, I found myself able to forget about my troubles, and just experience life like a 17 year old should. I had no worries. I could stop focusing on my father and my mother, and just focus on living. It was a nice break, a chance to leave all the pain behind for a while, and I found myself looking forward to every chance I got to meet up with her.

Even if I loved having a moment to breathe, I still couldn't understand why I felt so connected with the girl. After talking to her the first time, actually getting to know her a bit, I found a spark of fondness growing in my chest. I had promised myself I would never put trust in another person again, I would never rely on anyone else. But I was breaking that promise when I was around her.

Whenever I was with her, I felt like I could finally allow myself to let go, and trust someone again. I wasn't afraid of being hurt by her. A weight I didn't even know was there lifted off my chest whenever she was around, and I could actually allow myself to feel. It wasn't hard to smile and laugh - I didn't have to fake happiness at all.

I wanted to get to know her better, I wanted to talk with her more. More and more, I found myself wanting to open up around her, and tell her about what was going on. Not even Butler knew the extent of it.

Ever since my father had disappeared, my mothers mental health began to deteriorate. Every day, her condition worsened, and though she had not yet told me this flat out yet - I knew she blamed me for my fathers disappearance. I knew it wasn't her fault, she wasn't healthy, but it still hurt every time she threw something at me or yelled in my ear.

In the end, it was easier when she wasn't able to recognize me. She wasn't so abusive, just rude. She never threw things at me with the true intention of hurting me, and her words had no true malice to them, unlike when she knew exactly who I was. The look in her eyes when she knew who I was, the disappointed, hateful look was no longer there.

I closed my eyes and sighed. It was Wednesday night, and tomorrow afternoon I would be able to see Holly. I would be able to forget about my problems for a little while. The fact that I still had such a long time to wait was unbearable. I opened my eyes, staring at the bland ceiling above me. Sighing again, I turned over to look at the bare wall. I wanted the next day to come, but I was unable to sleep. Too many thoughts were running through my head.

...*BREAK*...

Somehow, I managed to get to sleep, and woke up the next morning with a start. I shot up in my bed, eyes wide. My breathing was uneven and ragged, and beads of sweat were running down my forehead. After a few moments, I managed to calm my breathing and fell back down against my bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I sighed.

I'd had nightmares before, they were quite a usual occurrence for me. Especially after my father went missing and my mother began to fade. I had gotten used to them, but they still shook me every time I had them. I always woke up from one feeling terrible - weak and nauseous.

Standing up, I walked to the bathroom to take a shower. It was nine am, and I had another eight hours before I had to meet Holly.

I stripped down and stepped into the warm water. Another sigh escaped me as my tense muscled relaxed. Shower's had always been a good way to unwind - especially after a nightmare. After I washed my hair, I stood there for a few minutes longer. I wished I could simply stay under the warmth forever.

When the water began turning cold, I shut it off and grabbed my towel. Drying off, I put on some clothes and walked down to the kitchen to see if Butler had made breakfast yet.

Stepping lightly down the stairs, my stomach growled as smells from the kitchen wafted through the halls. Butler had indeed began making breakfast. Following my nose, I found my way into the kitchen and watched as Butler finished making the pancakes. Turning around when he was finished, he smiled at me. "Good morning Artemis." he said

I smiled back at him. "Good morning Butler. I see you've made pancakes this morning."

He nodded, and pulled out four plates. I grabbed the plate with the pancakes on it and took it to the dining room, before piling a few pancakes on one and taking it to my mother.

Knocking on the door quietly, I hesitantly walked into the room. It took me a moment to see my once strong mother curled up under the blankets in the dim light. I walked closer to her, and felt my heart breaking even more at the quiet sobs that came from her. "Mother." I said softly "I brought you some breakfast. Butler made pancakes."

I watched as her head popped up slowly from the bound of blankets, and watched as she blinked at me. "Artemis?" she whispered

I nodded. "Yes mother. It's me." I said quietly

Slowly, her face twisted into what looked like disappointment and anger. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to leave and never come back?"

Her voice was steadily rising, and I set down the plate on the stand beside her bed. I lowered my head and took a step back. I couldn't bring myself to look up, knowing that I would only meet with a hateful glare. "You're not my son. It's your fault he's gone. You could have stopped him. I have no son, not anymore. Get out of my sight!"

A lump formed in my throat, and tears stung at my eyes. I had heard things like this before from her yes, but it still hurt every time.

I took a step back, but my head shot up when I heard my mother shout. My eyes widened at the sight of a vase flying at me, and I fell down as it struck me - as I was unable to move out of the way in time. Looking back up at my mother - who was wide eyed and breathing heavily, I stood up and scrambled out of the room, trying to keep the tears welling up in my eyes from falling.

I ran down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to regain my composure. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and reentered the kitchen. Butler looked up at me, a worried look on his face. "I heard some shouting. Are you okay Artemis?" he asked

I straightened up and turned to face my bodyguard and friend full on. "Yes Butler, I am fine. I have gotten quite used to this. I just hope we will find father soon."

Butler nodded. From the look in his eyes, I could tell he didn't quite believe me, but he decided not to push it. For that I was thankful. I didn't want to talk about it.

I grabbed my food and made my way up to my room. As I shut the door behind me, my shoulders slumped and I sighed. I was exhausted. I hadn't gotten a full nights sleep in weeks - maybe even months - and the entire situation was extremely stressful. I sat my food down on my desk and sat down on my bed. I knew I needed to eat, but I couldn't bring myself to.

I tried not to let what my mother said get to me, but I never could succeed at that. I knew she was right, it was my fault my father was missing. I was worthless and an idiot, and I didn't deserve anything.

I laughed and buried my face in my pillow. The sound was bitter and flat. I was wallowing in self pity, even if that was true. I had to stop thinking about this. My act that everything was fine had to stay up, and they would only believed it if I did the same.

_I'm fine. _

_**Yeah. Keep telling yourself that. You know you'll never believe it. You're pathetic.**_

I sighed again. There was always that little voice in my head that said things like that. It was almost like there was a separate person in my mind.

Drowsiness overwhelmed me, and my eyes fell closed as the darkness of sleep came over me.

A strangled scream tore through my throat, and I shot up in bed, grateful that my walls were soundproof. Turning around, I looked at my clock and swore. It was already 3:40, I had to meet Holly at 'Haven Cafe' in twenty minutes. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, looking at my reflection. I looked horrible. The skin under my eyes - which had a haunted look to them - had become puffy and bruised. My hair and body was soaked with sweat, and I genuinely looked exhausted.

I turned on the water and hopped into the shower, hoping it might making me look more presentable. Five minutes later, I walked back into my room and got changed. Taking one last look in the mirror, I decided I looked quite a bit better. I no longer looked like I might keel over any second. I just looked tired. Sighing, I straightened my back, squared my shoulders and walked out of my room down the stairs.

"Butler, I'm going out for a while." I called

I heard a muffled grunt - which I assumed meant okay - and opened the door. Squinting at the bright light, I strode to my car and started the engine. As I drove towards the small cafe, I found a smile forming on my face. I couldn't wait to see Holly.

**Holly POV**

As the day wore on, I found myself growing more and more anxious about Artemis coming to the cafe. I wanted to see him, but I was scared he wouldn't like the food. I was scared he would decide I was boring and leave.

Laughing at myself - I sounded like a teenage girl - I focused on the job at hand. I walked over to a couple sitting by the front window and handed them their bill just as the door opened and Artemis walked in. I smiled. Once again, he was perfectly on time. After taking the payment, I made my way to the kitchen and took off my hat and bag I wore as a waitress, and signed out.

Making my way towards Artemis, a frown formed on my face. Something was off about him. He looked tired and... sad? Yes, he looked sad. Walking up to him, I lead him to a table and looked closer at him. My frown deepened and I leaned over and put my hand on his forehead, trying to see if he might me running a fever. "Are you okay Artemis? You look a little tired." I said

He looked at me confused, and I blushed as I realized my hand was still on his head. Clearing my throat, I pulled away, waiting for his answer. A slight blush came over his own features, and he broke eye contact with me to look at the menu. "I'm perfectly fine Holly. What makes you say that?" he asked

I frowned again. "Artemis, you're definitely not fine. Have you slept at all? You look like you've been up for a week straight!"

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I assure you, I'm fine Holly. Just had a little trouble sleeping last night is all." he answered

"Okay..." I said hesitantly

I knew he was lying, but I decided not to push it, which he looked thankful for. Whatever was going on with him, I'm sure he wouldn't tell someone he barely even knew. I was probably lucky I even got anything out of him at all. Flashing a quick smile at him, I looked at my menu. It was pointless, I already knew what I was going to order, but I had nothing else to do but stare at the man in front of me - which would obviously lead to another awkward situation.

Clearing my throat, I looked up at him. "Do you know what you're going to order?" I asked

He nodded, and I called the waitress over. I frowned as I realized I hadn't met her yet. Must be new.

"What can I get for you?" she asked

"I'll have the chicken Alfredo pasta and some tea, Earl Grey please." Artemis said

I smiled at his choice in food, and voiced my order. "I'd like the veggie sandwich, with curly fries on the side." I said

Artemis looked at me, amusement touching his features. "Veggie sandwich? Are you vegetarian?" he asked

I nodded. "Yup. Been that way for almost a year now. I never did like meat all that much." I said

He nodded. "I tried to go vegetarian once. It didn't work out. I love gourmet chicken too much." he said, smiling

I laughed. "Who's idea was that?" I asked

"My mothers." he answered, a sad smile touching his lips

I frowned at his expression and fidgeting hands. Something must have happened to her, to make him so uncomfortable when talking about the subject. I felt the strange urge to grab his hand and comfort him, but I knew that would be stepping out of line for someone who barely even knew him. All I could do was smile comfortingly at him, and try to help him forget whatever memories were plaguing him. At least for a moment.

* * *

**Aw, poor Artemis. So, they got to know each other a bit. I'm going to start developing the romance between the two, but it's going to be fairly subtle. Nothing big will happen for another few chapters. Just thoughts and... desires... Anyways! How was it? I'd love to know. Feel free to leave a review, concrit is always welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Artemis POV**

When Holly asked me if I was okay, I felt a bit of fear run through me. Was it that obvious? I tried to lie, and say I was fine. She didn't believe me, but she let the matter go. For that I was grateful.

When our meals came, I found myself impressed at how the small cafe presented their food. I was even more impressed when I took a small bite of the chicken. "This is amazing!" I exclaimed

A wide grin spread across Holly's face. "I'm glad you like it." she said

I smiled back to her, and began concentrating on my food, Holly doing the same. When we were nearly finished, we began to speak again. "The schools are going to start summer here soon, aren't they?" she asked

I nodded. "Yes, we have half of next week, and then freedom begins."

She smiled, and leaned back in her chair. "What are your plans?" she asked

I shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have any plans. What about you?"

She nodded. "Same. I tend to just do things when I want to. I never set a schedule. I'm sure my coworkers will throw a party and make a mess of my flat all throughout it though. I guess that kind of humbles everything down." she wrinkled her nose, and my lips turned up in a small smile

"I'm sure it will be wonderful." I said

She snorted. "Yeah. You'd think that. Just wait, if they are anywhere near any form of alcohol, things get pretty scary." she said

I finished off my meal, waiting patiently for Holly to finish hers, before pulling out my wallet to pay the bill. Holly glared at me, reaching for her own wallet. "I'm paying." she said

I shook my head. "No. I insist." I said

She made a noise that sounded like a growl, and pulled out some money. "I work here. I'll pay." she said

I sighed. "How about we split the bill?" I asked

She wrinkled her nose, but gave in. "Fine." she huffed, standing up. She handed me half of the price, and I set the money on the table before standing up.

"Want to go on a walk?" I asked

She shrugged. "Sure."

We walked out of the building, into the street. This was one of the rare days where it wasn't raining and you could actually see the sun. A warm breeze blew Holly's hair around her face, and I watched as she tucked it behind her ear. "My hair's getting long again. I should probably cut it." she said

I shook my head. "I think it's lovely the way it is." I said.

She smiled. "Thanks."

I smiled back, and gazed at her jaw length red hair, and admired the way it shone in the sunlight. I found myself longing to run my fingers through it, and my hand began to rise in anticipation. As I realized what I was doing, I snapped my hand back down to my waist, hoping that Holly hadn't noticed.

Looking around and taking in the surroundings, I found that we were at the park where we had first met. I smiled and grabbed her hand unconsciously, leading her to the duck pond. Sitting down on the bench, I pulled her down next to me, and looked at the small smile on her face. She tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes at the warmth of the sun. I realized that our hands were still intertwined, but couldn't bring myself to care. If she wanted to move her hand away, I had a feeling she would.

Watching the sunlight reflecting off the water, my attention was drawn back to Holly once again. Her eyes were still closed, a peaceful look residing over her. I wished I could feel that way. I hadn't realized that she had opened her eyes until I heard her clear her throat. Jumping, I found myself gazing into those familiar hazel orbs, and wished I could stare into them forever.

"Everything okay Artemis?" she asked

I nodded. "Y-yeah. Everything's fine." I gulped, and dropped my eyes back down to our hands.

She followed my gaze, and blushed a bit as she realized that we were still holding hands, but made no move to pull away. She sighed, and looked up at the sky again. "I've always loved the sun. And the rain. I had a recurring dream where I was trapped in a dark room, unable to see the sunlight or feel the breeze. I guess that's why I love the outdoors so much. Sometime's I wonder if that wasn't a dream, but something that actually happened to me."

I nodded, and gave her a sad smile, squeezing her hand slightly. "Well, whatever it was, it's the past now."

She smiled, and leaned her head against my shoulder. I froze for a second, before relaxing into the position. "You know, I still remember the day we met. You were so sad. I didn't even know it was possible to have that much pain in one's heart." she looked up at me, and met my eyes. I saw the look on her face, she was sad. Why? I don't know. She just was.

I looked at her questioningly, silently urging her to continue.

"I... I know that we don't really know each other that well, and that it's really none of my business, but... I know that something's going on in your life that's giving you a hard time. I want to help you, and I'm always here to listen if you need to talk." she said

I smiled, my face softening a bit. "Thanks." I said "I might just take you up on that."

She laughed, and put her head back on my shoulder. We sat there for a while, and when sunset came, I looked down to speak and froze. Holly's eyes were closed, her breathing soft and even. She was asleep. Smiling, I reached down and stroked some hair out of her eyes. As the sun set, the temperature dropped, and I noticed Holly begin to shiver. Sighing, I picked her up and carried her bridal style back to my car. I didn't know where she lived, but I wasn't going to leave her in the middle of the park.

She shivered again and snuggled against me, trying to get closer to the warmth I supplied. I laughed slightly, and put her in the passenger seat before climbing in myself. Turning on the engine, I began making my way back towards my manor.

Walking into the doorway, I noticed Butler's confused look, but put a finger to my lips to shush him. Smiling slightly, I mouthed 'Explain later' to him and began walking upstairs to one of the guest rooms.

Pulling back the covers, and took off her shoes and jacket and gently put her on the bed. I brushed some more hair out of her face, and she nuzzled my hand. I laughed, but the noise sounded sad. Pulling the covers up and tucking her in, I gave in to what my body wanted to do. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Holly." I whispered, walking quietly out of the room.

I never noticed her soft hazel eyes watching me leave, nor the small smile that graced her face.

**Holly POV**

Sunlight filtered in through the thin curtains on the window, and my eyes flickered opened. Looking around, I took in the unfamiliar room. I found myself in a king size bed. The pillows were covered in light blue silk, and the blanket was large and elegant - something I would never be able to afford on it's own. The walls were painted a light cream color, decorated with lavish paintings and pictures. A large window resided on the wall to my right, illuminating the room with bright light.

It took me a moment to remember how I had gotten there. As I recalled the night before, I found myself blushing. A small smile tugged at my lips at the memory of Artemis being so gentle and kind when he had set me in bed. A warm feeling began in my chest as I thought of him leaning down and kissing my forehead, and brushing my hair out of my face. That boy really was something.

Sighing, I got out of bed and stretched. Looking around some more, I found a pair of clean pants and a shirt neatly folded on the nightstand to my left. Changing quickly, I tried not to wonder where Artemis had gotten the clothes.

Stepping out of the room, I found myself slightly dizzy as I walked around. Giant hallways spread out in front of me, twisting and turning in every direction. How could one house be so big?

Not paying attention, I ran into what seemed like a mountain. I looked up, and saw the largest man I'd ever seen. I took a step back, afraid he would strangle me or something. He smiled at me -_ smiled - _and nodded. "You must be Holly. Artemis told me about you. I'm Butler, his bodyguard and well... butler. I was just heading to get you for breakfast. If you would follow me, please."

He turned and began walking away, and my jaw dropped. _Bodyguard? Butler? _Artemis must have been better off than I thought.

Shaking my head, and turned and ran after the mountain of a man. As we walked, I looked around at the occasional paintings that occupied the walls. I couldn't believe how large the place was.

Following Butler through a doorway, I found myself in a dining room. My eyes immediately fell on Artemis, who smiled and beckoned me over. I smiled back and sat down next to him. "Sorry about this. You fell asleep in the park and I couldn't just leave you there. I don't know where you live, so I just brought you to my home."

I nodded. "It's okay Artemis. Thank you for this. Big house yeah?"

He nodded, as Butler and a younger blond girl entered the room, carrying plates full of food. I watched as Artemis filled up two plates, and filled up my own.

"I am going to go give my mother breakfast." he said

Butler started. "Are you sure Artemis? I can do it." he said

He just shook his head. "No, no. It's fine. It will only take a moment."

With that, the raven haired boy turned around and exited the room, carrying the extra plate. Everyone was silent for a few moments before I turned to Butler to thank him. Before I could get a word out though, a crash and a shout came from upstairs. Wide eyed, I looked at Butler and flipped around to face the door as it opened. A disgruntled Artemis walked in.

I jumped up and walked over to him, and saw a small trickle of blood coming from his temple. "Artemis! You're hurt!"

He smiled but shook his head. "It's fine Holly. I've dealt with much worse."

I openly gaped at him, before turning around and grabbing the first aid kit the other girl was holding. Opening it, I grabbed what I needed and began to clean the cut, forcing Artemis to sit down.

"You're lucky it's not deeper Artemis. It could have been serious." I scolded

He smiled again, grabbing my hands and leading them away from his head. "As I said Holly, it's fine."

I shook my head. "No. It's not fine. What was that anyways? You said you were going to give your mom some breakfast!"

He sighed, and I noticed his shoulders sag a bit. He diverted his gaze to the floor, avoiding my eyes. "It's... a long story. I'll tell you after breakfast."

"Fine." I huffed

I sat down and piled my plate with food, my mouth watering in anticipation. Once I had my share, I dug in. Artemis laughed at my ravenous appetite, but didn't say anything else throughout the meal. I couldn't help but notice he only had a few bites of toast.

Sitting back, I sighed in content. That was the best meal I'd had in a long time. When he noticed I was done, Artemis took our plates and walked into another doorway, walking back into the dining room after a few seconds. He beckoned me to follow him, and I did. He led me through more hallways, and stopped in front of a door.

He opened it and walked inside, beckoning me in. I looked around, and took in the furniture. There was a bed, smaller than the one I had slept in, a nightstand, a desk with a computer and another door which I assumed led to the bathroom. He must have taken me to his bedroom.

As soon as he entered his room, I noticed a huge difference in his stance. His shoulder slumped, and his head lowered. He looked exhausted, his entire body seemed to sag.

He flopped down on his bed, and I pulled his chair next to it. "What's going on Artemis?" I asked

He sighed. "It's a long story. I'm not quite ready to tell all of it though."

I nodded in understanding. "Just tell me what you can."

He took a deep breath and began. "My father, he... went missing a little while ago. My mother took it hard, and her mind began to deteriorate. She... well, she holed herself up in the attic and refuses to come down. I bring her up her meals, but she's become fairly... violent. She doesn't even recognize me sometimes."

He gave a bitter laugh, tears welling up in his eyes. I looked at him, sympathy swelling in my chest. I walked forwards and hugged him. "It's okay, Artemis." I said

He nodded, and his own arms wrapped around me - albeit hesitantly. I didn't say anything else. I knew he didn't want to hear it, so I just hugged him. The only thing I could do was be there for him. And that's what I'd do.

* * *

**Heyo! Artemis has finally started to open up. Yay!**

**Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. I've been pretty busy. Anyways, thanks so much for all the support, you guys are so awesome!**

**Don't forget to leave a review, the more I get the faster I'll update. Constructive criticism is always welcome!**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh my gosh, the feedback I'm getting on this story is amazing! I'm so glad people are enjoying this. I meant to publish this chapter on Wednesday, but I ended up forgetting. I haven't been writing lately, I've been slacking off. I'm currently working on chapter six, and I'm normally about three chapters ahead of the last one I published. Anyways, enough rambling. Thank you guys so much! Enjoy!**

**Artemis POV**

As Holly hugged me, a strange feeling fluttered through me. I was nervous, yet excited. Something in my mind told me that the fuzziness was butterflies, flying around in my stomach. I felt the urge to laugh. I sounded like a love-sick fourteen year old in a cheap romance novel.

I felt grateful that Holly hadn't bothered with any useless comments saying everything would be alright. She knew it wouldn't do anything.

After the initial moment of shock that someone was actually _hugging _me, I had carefully brought my own arms up to hug her back. Allowing myself the comfort, I buried my face into her fiery red hair, releasing a breath. I felt myself sagging, allowing Holly to support me.

A few moments later, I felt her begin to pull away. Trying not to sigh, I allowed her to stand back up, missing the fuzzy feeling and warmth she had taken away when she pulled out of the hug. I offered her a small smile, and felt surprised that I actually felt a little better.

She returned the expression, before her phone beeped. Looking down, she furrowed her brow for a few seconds, and her eyes widened.

"What?" I asked

She shook her head. "I'm attending a formal dinner tonight! It's my boss's birthday! D'arvit I forgot! Ugh, I don't have anything to wear..."

I shook my head and began to speak, when she froze again. Looking up at me her eyes widening with horror, she tensed. "I'm supposed to bring a date..."

The words were filled with such horror that I couldn't help myself. I doubled over laughing, and her eyes narrowed at me. "What's so funny?" she growled

I shook my head. "N-nothing! Sorry, it's just..." I clutched at my stomach for a few moments before I managed to calm down. "D'arvit?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed. "It's a cuss word my boss says. Its rubbed off on all of us."

I nodded, and took a moment to look at her. She seemed nervous and almost scared. Sighing, I placed my hands on her shoulders, causing her to look up at me. I locked my eyes onto hers, and began to speak. "Don't worry, Holly. I can take you out and get you something to wear, and I'll go with you if you want. It'll be okay."

She sighed, and slumped. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

I nodded, and grinned. "Of course. You're my friend. Plus, I find myself wanting to meet this boss of yours... he sounds like an interesting character."

She grinned back at me, and lightly punched my shoulder. "Thanks Artemis."

I tried not to groan as Holly looked at the selection of dresses in the small store we currently occupied. I never understood why men were always complaining about their wives and girlfriends when it comes to shopping, but I got the feeling it was something like that. I knew Holly wasn't as bad as some, but it was still taking forever.

Sighing, I walked over to a dress that caught my eye. It was a simple emerald green strapless dress with a black belt. Picking it up, I walked over to Holly. "What about this one?"

Holly eyed the dress for a moment before nodding in approval. She took it from me and went into the dressing room.

When she came back out, my breath caught in my throat. The dress fit perfectly on her. It was tight at the top, allowing people to see her figure, and below the belt was a flowing skirt stopping at her knees. It was simple - not flashy or professional - and contrasted with her hair in an amazing way. It fit her personality perfectly.

She twirled around, the skirt flying around in a mesmerizing way. "How do I look?" she asked

I swallowed hard, realizing I was staring, and smiled at her. "You look wonderful. Absolutely beautiful."

She blushed and looked down, an embarrassed smile gracing her face. "You make it seem like people don't compliment you that often."

She shrugged, and looked back up. "Not really. I've never been in a situation that really allowed someone to, at least not for a long time."

My smile fell a bit at those words. "Well. I guess I'll just have to make up for lost time Holly. You're beautiful, absolutely amazing."

Her eyes sparkled, and she grinned at me - her face once again turning red. She quickly took off the dress, and went to hang it back up. "What are you doing?" I asked her

"It's beautiful, but I can't afford it. I'll have to find something cheaper."

I shook my head. "No. I'll pay for it."

She gaped at me. "No way. You don't have to do that Artemis."

I smiled. "When did I say that? You see, I find that dress to look quite wonderful on you. It would be a shame not to be able to see it again. My reasons for buying it for you are completely selfish. I want to see you in it again."

Her face became even redder - if that was even possible - and I took the dress from her in one swift movement, walking to the counter and paying for it. When I walked back to her, she was still frozen. I laughed. "Are you going to sit there forever Holly? Or would you like to grab something to eat?"

She shook her head, and glared at me. I feigned an innocent expression. "What?" I asked

She didn't say anything for a few moments, before she smiled another small smile. "Thank you, Artemis." she said, taking the dress from me.

I wasn't sure if it was for the compliments or for buying the dress, but nonetheless, I smiled even wider. "My pleasure."

Later that night, I found myself walking into a fancy restaurant with Holly by my side. She had worn the green dress - to my pleasure - and I had opted for a simple suit.

I followed Holly to a table with five people at it. Holly smiled, and walked up to a slightly plump man with a slightly red face and a scowl. He smiled as he saw her, and gave her shoulder a small pat. "Happy birthday, Root." she said

He thanked her, and turned to me. "Who is this?" he asked her

"Root, this is Artemis. Artemis this is Julius Root, my boss."

I smiled and shook his outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you."

He nodded, and said the same, before Holly introduced me to everyone else. "Artemis, this is Trouble, Vinyaya, Foaly and Mulch."

I smiled, and nodded to them. "Nice to meet you."

They all beamed back at me, and nodded. "You too." Vinyaya said

We all sat down and ordered our food, and I sipped on my earl grey tea. "So... Holly, how'd you and Artemis meet?" Trouble asked

Holly smiled. "I met him in the park when it was raining. He didn't talk to me and just walked away. The next day, I literally ran into him and spilled his coffee on him. I offered him to buy another, he apologized for his behavior. We talked for a while, and became friends."

Trouble nodded, and I couldn't help but notice the small glare he shot my way. I wondered what that was about, but decided not to dwell on it.

The rest of the night went by pretty fast, and soon desert had been eaten and it was time to leave. I realized I'd actually had more fun than I'd had in a long time, and didn't really want to leave. I had become friends with Holly's coworkers. I'd never had many friends, and it was a new experience. I found it extremely amusing when Root got angry or irritated, and his face turned, as his nickname said, 'beet root red'.

Saying our goodbyes, I walked Holly to the car, and opened the door for her before climbing in to the drivers seat. Starting the engine, I turned to Holly. "That was very interesting." I said

She laughed. "It was. Now you've met my friends."

I smiled at how happy she was, and nodded, pulling out of the parking lot. "Would you like me to take you home?"

She nodded and yawned. "Yeah. Probably a good idea. I'm beat."

I nodded and followed her directions until I came to a small apartment complex. "Would you like to come in for a while?" she asked

I nodded. "Sure. But just for a little. You seem tired."

She walked up the stairs and unlocked her door. I followed her in, and looked around at the room. It was cozy. I saw touches of 'Holly' around, and smiled.

"Nice place." I commented

She nodded, plopping down on the couch. "Root payed the first few months for me."

I nodded, and sat down next to her as she reached for the remote and turned the TV on. We watched the news for a while, before she got bored and switched the TV on mute. She turned to me, a concerned look in her eyes. "I know I shouldn't bring this up again, but I have to. Are you okay? After what happened this morning..."

I smiled at her, knowing she could see the sadness behind it. "I'm fine Holly. I've dealt with this kind of thing for a long time now."

She nodded, and put her head on my shoulder, another yawn escaping her. I put my arm around her shoulders and shifted to a more comfortable position, her head falling to my chest. "Artemis?" she mumbled

"Yeah?" I asked quietly

"What happened to you father?"

I tensed a bit, and sighed. "He was a businessman, and went on a lot of trips overseas to expand his company. A couple years ago, he set out on a trip to Russia. When they got to the bay, the ship was shot down by missiles by who I believe to be the Russian Mafia. There was no known survivors."

Holly put her arm around my stomach and lightly squeezed, offering silent comfort. "It must have been hard..." she said

I nodded. "It was... it still is. But I believe he's still alive. I've been trying to find him. The night you met me was the anniversary of the day the ship was shot down."

She squeezed me even tighter, and I felt grateful for her support. "What was he like?"

"He wasn't a big fan of affection. He didn't like hugs and kisses. I was lucky if I ever got a pat on the shoulder. I got enough of that from my mother though." A bitter laugh escaped me. "He was nice though. He would take us out as a family a lot, and I still remember the way he used to look at my mother."

I felt her nod, silently urging me to continue. I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes again, and I blinked them back. "He... I miss him..."

She turned to look at me, sat up and put her arms around my shoulders, resting her forehead against my head. "My mother burned all pictures of him, except for one. She keeps it locked away."

I furrowed my brow in frustration, trying to remember something lost long ago. "I... I can't remember what he looked like..."

A single tear fell from my eye, and Holly reached up and brushed it away. She hugged me again, offering her support. I relaxed into her arms. "Thank you..." I whispered

I looked up and locked eyes with her. It was crazy - I'd only known her for a few days - but I felt the urge to kiss her. I began to lean forward, and saw her doing the same. Her eyes starting closing, as mine did too, and we were only a centimeter away from each other before Holly's phone went off. She sighed, and sat back answering her cell. "Hello?"

I watched her carefully, and a feeling of dread slid through me as a look of horror warped her features. She dropped her phone and turned to me, tears in her eyes. "What is it?" I asked, putting my hands on her shoulders.

She shook her head, bringing her hands up to her mouth. "It's Julius..."

* * *

**Ooh, and a cliffy. Sorry, that was the perfect place to end this. I feel evil now... **

**Have you guys noticed that emotions in Author's Notes seem exaggerated? Like, I've noticed that in mine, and many others, we sound extremely happy and hyper, and then other people are just like 'meh'. I've been thinking about that for some reason... Because I'm not an overly hyper or happy person, but I sound like it in my notes. It's so strange.**

**Anyways, so how was it? Feel free to drop a review, the more I get the more I'll post!**


	6. Chapter 6

_I watched her carefully, and a feeling of dread slid through me as a look of horror warped her features. She dropped her phone and turned to me, tears in her eyes. "What is it?" I asked, putting my hands on her shoulders._

_She shook her head, bringing her hands up to her mouth. "It's Julius..."_

* * *

**Artemis POV**

The hours ticked by, a single minute feeling like a hundred years. I was seated on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Holly sat beside me, eyes darting back and forth, her shoulders tense. I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. She looked up at me, tears glistening in her eyes. I could see the fear she felt, and found myself reflecting those feelings.

In the short time I had known him, I'd grown a bit fond of old Julius Root. And knowing how much he meant to Holly, I wanted him to be okay.

Standing up, I stretched and reached a hand out to Holly. She looked up at me, confused. "Come on, you've been sitting here all night. You need food. It will only take a moment." I explained

She shook her head. "What if he wakes up and I'm not here though? What if he thinks he's all alone?"

I smiled sadly, and gestured to the group sitting next to us, made up of Holly's coworkers. "They're here. We can tell them to call if something happens. But Holly, you need to get away from here. You're worried, I know. But you can't sit here the entire time wasting away. I know this from experience."

She looked at me for a few seconds, as if trying to decide whether or not I was telling the truth. Eventually, she nodded slowly, and grabbed my hand. I helped her up, but kept a hold of her hand even once we started walking. She didn't pull away, so I assumed she didn't mind.

We left the hospital and walked down the block to a small coffee shop. We ordered, and sat down. We were the only customers. I found myself eyeing the piano in the corner of the room. I hadn't played for a while, but I'd been wanting to. Holly noticed my staring and followed my gaze. She smiled softly. "You play don't you?"

I nodded curtly, turning to look at the woman in front of me. She smiled softly. "Will you play something?" she asked

I hesitated, but seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, I couldn't find it in myself to refuse her request.

Standing up, I walked to the beautiful instrument, and allowed myself to admire it for a moment. It was well cared for, and played often. Sitting down, I felt Holly walk up behind me. Placing my hands on the keys, I took a moment to compose myself. I pushed down on a key, the sharp note ringing through the building.

Gaining confidence, I began to move my hands across the keys. A soft tune flowed from my fingertips, one I had written long ago; back when my father had first gone missing. Right after the first time my mother failed to recognize me. The last time I'd played piano.

I swayed in tune with the music, closing my eyes and getting lost in the sound. I ignored everything around me, and focused on the keys beneath my fingers.

As the last note rang out, I opened my eyes, and turned to see Holly smiling softly at me. "That was beautiful." she said

I smiled at her, and stood up. Grabbing my coffee, I walked towards the door, knowing Holly was following after me. "Come on." I said. "Let's go back to Julius."

* * *

We went back to the waiting room, sitting back down in those god awful chairs. Bouncing my knee up and down, I kept a firm hold on Holly's hand. We both needed sleep, but I knew neither of us was going to get any anytime soon.

Two hours later, I was beginning to feel restless, and I could tell Holly was feeling the same way.

"Shouldn't someone have come to inform us about his condition?" she asked

I shook my head. "I don't know. We just have to be patient."

After another few minutes of waiting, and Holly beginning to grow desperate to see her friend, a nurse walked into the waiting room. "Friends of Julius Root?" she asked

Holly bolted up, and made her way over to the blond woman standing in the doorway. I followed close behind her, wanting to stay by her side. "Yes?" Holly said, a frantic edge in her voice.

The nurse - whose name tag said Lilly - smiled down at us. "Mr. Root is stable. He's still unconscious, but he can have visitors. At the moment though, only two people are permitted at a time to go in to see him."

Holly smiled back at her. "Thank you!" she said

"No problem dear. He's in room 207."

Holly nodded and grabbed my hand, leading us through the hallways.

We walked briskly into Julius' room, sitting down in the uncomfortable chairs by his bed. The room was so stereo-typically hospital, with white walls, the stench of cleaning chemicals, and various medical equipment around the bed.

In the bed lay Julius, pale and sweating. His body was lying on his back, blanket pulled up to his chest, arms above the coverings sitting next to his body. the position was too fake, rigid. It didn't look comfortable, and I had the urge to move him into a more natural arrangement.

Hearing a sniff beside, I turned to look at my friend. Squeezing her hand, I smiled. "He'll be alright Holly."

* * *

**Holly POV**

Waiting to find out whether my friend would live was unbearable. If I hadn't had Artemis there to help me, I don't know what I would have done.

Now that I knew that he was going to live, and I could see him, it wasn't so hard. It still hurt, knowing that this had even happened in the first place. I was thankful Artemis had stayed with me through this. I was happy that I could trust him.

I looked at him, and took in his features. His sharply pronounced cheekbones, full pink lips, and bright electric blue eyes. He was the definition of beautiful.

Looking at him closer though, I realized it was a beauty filled with melancholy. It wasn't happy, it was decidedly depressing. His amazing eyes held so much sadness in them. I realized I was staring at him, but I didn't care.

Thinking back to the first time I had met him, that night in the park, that sadness had been there then too. It never actually left, he just managed to conceal it through a fake sense of happiness, and a smile that never truly reached his eyes. He was always trying to seem happy, even though he never was.

He turned his head, and looked back at me. This was one of the rare moments where he wasn't trying to pretend, and he was letting his emotions show through. His shoulders were drooping, grief shone brightly in his eyes. He was exhausted.

We both jumped as the door to the room opened, and a doctor walked in. He smiled at us, and sat down in the unoccupied chair beside us. He looked happy, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm Dr. Finnegan. As you have heard, Mr. Root here is stable, but I'm afraid he has had a serious injury to his lower spine. He might never be able to walk again."

At those words, I froze. My mouth was hanging open and my wide eyes were filling up with tears. I looked like a complete idiot, but I didn't care. "Are-are you serious?" I asked

The doctor nodded, a grim look on his face. "I'm sorry." he said

I just nodded, and sat back in my chair. I couldn't believe it.

The doctor left the room, and Artemis squeezed my hand. I looked over and offered a sad smile his way, which he returned.

"It'll be okay Holly."

I shook my head. "But you heard what the doctor said! He won't be able to walk... how is that all right?"

Artemis' eyes grew even sadder - if that was even possible - and he wrapped an arm around me in a side hug. "He's alive, that's how. Focus on that, for now that's all that matters."

Looking up at him, I couldn't help the awe that filled me. He had been through so much, I could tell. Yet, he was so strong, and was still able to be happy.

A rustling sound came from Julius' bed, and we both snapped our heads to look at him. He was beginning to stir. Leaning forward, I grabbed his hand. "Julius?" I asked.

Opening his eyes, he looked around and tried to sit up. He winced, and Artemis stood up to help him get into a comfortable position.

"Where am I?" he asked, voice gruff and scratchy

I handed him a glass of water and helped him drink before answering. "You're in the hospital. You were in an accident."

He stared at me blankly, and for a moment I thought I didn't understand me. After what felt like hours - but was really only a few seconds - he shook his head. "Well. I'm not dead so why am I here?"

I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my face. Julius was still Julius. "You're not dead but you are hurt. They wanted to keep you here until you healed a bit more."

He snorted, and started standing up. "Hell no. Get me out of here." he said

Artemis immediately reached over and held him back.

"Julius, you can't stand up." I said

He glared at me, face going red. "And why not?" he snapped at me

"Y-you've had an injury to your spine... You might never be able to walk again." tears welled up in my eyes, but I did my best to hold them back. I had to be strong.

Julius' eyes widened, and he sagged. "No... that... that's not right."

I reached over and hugged him, my surrogate father. He had given me a second chance at life, believed in me when no one else did. Why did this have to happen? Why to him? He didn't deserve this.

* * *

After a while, Julius fell back asleep. Artemis and I left the hospital, feeling a little better now that we knew he was going to live. Our spirits were dampened by the fact that he couldn't walk - which in turn meant he couldn't work at the cafe anymore - but he was alive, and as Artemis said, that's all that mattered.

I went with Artemis back to his house to collect my things, before he drove me home.

"Would you like to come in? Have some coffee maybe?" I asked

He smiled at me. "That would be lovely."

Walking into my small apartment, I couldn't help but think how small it was compared to Artemis's mansion. I was afraid he would think it was too cramped, but he seemed perfectly comfortable. He sat down on my couch while I waited for the coffee to brew.

When the drinks were ready, I put my signature three sugars in, and remembered from the coffee shop that Artemis preferred cream. As I walked back I began to read his body language. I expected him to be tense and uncomfortable in the new situation, but he seemed perfectly relaxed. He was looking around the room, taking in the decor. "Nice place." he said. "It's cozy."

I smiled. "It's nothing like your place though."

He shrugged, and smiled sadly at me. "My house may be big, but it's not that great."

"Why not? I thought having a big house would be great."

He shrugged again. "It's really not all that wonderful. Especially with my father... away, and my mother how she is. There's so much empty space. It gets kind of lonely."

"Hm. I guess I never thought about it like that."

He smiled sadly, and took a sip of his coffee. "This is good. How'd you know how I like it?" he asked

I smiled sheepishly, a slight blush spreading on my face. "I um... I remembered from the coffee shop."

He grinned, and took another sip. "Well, thank you."

I sat down beside him, our legs almost touching. We sat in silence for a while, sipping at our drinks. I allowed myself to space out, so I didn't notice Artemis' eyes begin to droop and his body begin to sag until I felt his head touch my shoulder. I jumped, which startled him awake.

"Oh sorry Holly. I seem to be falling asleep. I should probably head home..." He yawned and his eyes started to close again. There was no way he could drive.

"No Artemis. I don't think you should drive when you're so tired. You can stay here for the night. If you need to call Butler so he doesn't worry..." I trailed off when I realized he was fast asleep. Laughing quietly, I stood up and grabbed a blanket to drape over him. I moved his body so he was laying in a more comfortable position and crouched beside him.

He looked so much more peaceful when he was asleep. There were no indications of stress or sadness, he looked content.

Leaning down, I gently placed a kiss on top of his head. "Goodnight Artemis." I whispered

* * *

**Eh. Not my best work honestly. I feel like this chapter is vague and overall just could be a lot better? What do you guys think? I'm probably going to go through and rewrite the entire thing later. This chapter was really hard to write, I don't know why.**

**So, Root is hurt then. Originally I was going to have him die, but I just couldn't do it. **

**How was it? I don't think I did a very good job at this one, but I'll let you guys decide what you want. If you guys want me to edit it, let me know. **

**Remember, constructive criticism is always welcome! **

**Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Artemis POV**

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of clinking pots in the room next door. Squinting against the light filtering in through the window, I groaned and turned around. I hadn't slept that well in weeks, and I just wanted to fall back into the unconscious bliss. It took me a moment to remember the events of the night before, and found myself wanting slip away from consciousness even more. I wasn't ready to deal with everything.

I was just about to fall back asleep when the sounds from the other room quieted. Soft footsteps padded their way into their way towards me, and someone - presumably Holly - poked my ear. "Wake up sleepy head!" she said

Groaning, I nestled into the side of the couch. "Five more minutes..." I knew I sounded, childish, but I didn't care. I was with Holly, I didn't have to worry.

A chiming laugh sounded throughout the room, and one of the cushions sagged, indicating that Holly had sat down next to me. She carefully extracted the blanket from my grip, causing me to frown at the sudden coldness. I whined, and curled into the next nearest source of warmth - Holly. Pulling her down, I wrapped my arms around her. In my tired daze, I wasn't completely aware of what I was doing.

"Umm... Artemis, what are you doing?" she asked

"Cold." I murmured

Her laugh sounded in my ears again, and I sighed in contentment at the sound of it. I loved her laugh, it was so happy and full of life.

She shifted, causing me to groan in discontent. Sitting up, she placed my head in her lap and began running her fingers through my hair. I made a noise - much to my embarrassment later - that sounded a lot like a cat purring, and nuzzled my face into her stomach. Breathing in, I took in her scent - pine mixed with the smell of a forest right after it rains. Like nature.

Once again, I was about to fall back asleep, when she stood up, disrupting my peace. I groaned and looked up at her, sending a playful glare her way as I sat u. "Why did you do that? I was comfortable."

She chuckled, and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a standing position. "I made breakfast. Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."

As I followed her into the kitchen, a wonderful smell of eggs and pancakes filled my nose. "Mm... smells lovely." I said

Grabbing a plate and filling it up, I began to eat. "And tastes even better."

She beamed at me, and began eating her own food. "Glad you like it." she said

We ate in silence for a while, before I looked up at the clock. "I should probably head home soon. Butler is most likely getting worried."

Holly's face fell a bit, but she nodded. "Okay. Would you like to hang out again sometime? This was fun."

I smiled, and nodded. "I would love that."

Grabbing my jacket, I walked out the door. Stopping in the hallway, I turned around and hugged Holly in a split second decision. "Thanks for everything." I whispered

She squeezed me briefly, before I pulled away and grinned at her. "Until next time, my lady." I said with a playful bow

She giggled, and curtsied. "Of course." she said

Walking back to my car, a sense of foreboding filled me. I didn't want to go home. In truth, I couldn't even call it home anymore. It was just a house that I slept and ate in. There was nothing there for me anymore - not anymore.

Sighing, I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Looks like it was back to boring old life.

* * *

Walking into the doorway, I was immediately pounced on by Butler. "Where have you been, Artemis?" he asked

I looked at him, noticing how stressed he looked. "I went to Holly's for a while and ended up falling asleep over there. I apologize, I forgot to call you. Is something wrong? You look stressed."

He sighed, and allowed his shoulders to slump just the slightest bit. "It's your mother..."

At those words, I froze for a split second and bolted up the stairs to the attic. I prayed to every god I didn't believe in that she was okay. She was crazy and abusive, but none of that was her fault. She was my mother, and I needed her to be okay.

Opening the door, I was immediately struck by how dark it was. "Mother?" I called

The sound of sniffling came from a lump on the bed, and I made my way over to it. "Mother?" I asked again

Her bedraggled head popped out of the covers for a few moments, her eyes falling on me and immediately filling with more despair. "Oh Arty..." she choked

At her tone, a brick settled in my stomach. "Mother, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, and beckoned me over. "My Arty... I'm so sorry. I haven't been a good mother."

I walked over to her. "Mother, it's fine." I said, as she pulled me into a hug.

"It's not fine though! I've been so cruel. After your father left..."

Tears began to fill my eyes, and I squeezed the woman who gave birth to me slightly. Somehow, it was harder when she was aware of everything around her enough to break through the haze that surrounded her very being, instead of oblivious to everything around her.

"It's okay mother... mum."

Knowing calling her mum would relax her, I allowed myself to fall back into old habits from when I was a small child. I hadn't said that word in almost twelve years, and it sounded foreign from my lips.

She pulled away and looked at me, seeming to study my features. "Arty, could you play something for me?"

I felt my breath hitch at her request, but I couldn't deny her.

Taking her hand, I tried to ignore how thin and pale she had become, and pulled her up. She wobbled slightly, and I put an arm around her to keep her from falling. A surge of emotions went through me as I realized how light she was, and that I could see every vein of blood under her skin. _How did this happen mother?_

Leading her down the stairs, I took her to the old music room, which I hadn't entered since before my father disappeared. Sitting her down in a chair, I walked over to the piano, pulling off the tan cover that had sat on top of it for months, untouched. Running my hands over the smooth wood, which was somehow still dust free, and sat down at the bench. I allowed myself a moment to compose myself, placing my hands on the keys, and remembering how it used to feel to play.

I pushed down a single key, the note ringing through the room. Even after all that time, it still remained perfectly tuned.

Straightening my back, I began to play a song that my mother herself had taught me. It was a beautiful song filled with hope and a kind of joyous melancholy. Undoubtedly, it was my favorite song, and one that held multiple emotions behind it. My hands flew over the keys, remembering the notes perfectly. I fell into a peaceful trance, it was just me and the music.

By the time the last note filled the room, a single tear had escaped from my eye, and my mother had tear tracks down her own face. I walked over and hugged her, cherishing the warmth she held. It was a nice change, having her aware and showing she cares. She hadn't been this responsive in a long time, it was wonderful.

I knew it wouldn't last. Soon she would go back to her old self, stuck in the past, wallowing in memories. That didn't matter though. At that moment, I had a mother. I had someone who loved me, and who I loved back. I wasn't alone anymore, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

It was another week before I was able to see Holly. Somehow, school kept me busy even though it was shamefully easy. Mother had fallen back into her old habits, locking herself away and living in her memories. I hadn't had anything thrown at me though, that was nice.

It was ten in the morning the next Saturday when Holly finally contacted me. I was startled out of a daze by the ringing of my phone, which I immediately answered - anything to distract me from the destructive thoughts filling my mind.

"Hello?"

"Morning Artemis."

"As to you Holly. Any reason as to why you called?" I ask

"Well, there's this new karaoke place down town, and I was hoping you could come with me to check it out."

I raised an eyebrow, even if she couldn't see me. "Karaoke? Really Holly? I didn't know you were into that."

She laughed quietly, and I could see her smile in my mind. "I guess there's a lot of things you don't know about me yet, mudboy."

I scoffed. "Mudboy? Where did that come from?"

"I don't really know. I just said whatever popped into my mind. I like it though. That's your new nickname!"

Rolling my eyes, I chuckled. "Whatever you say. When and where am I meeting you then?"

"2120 Highland street. Say... four?"

"Sure. See you then."

"See you Artemis."

* * *

I pulled into the parking lot of the karaoke place - which was actually a small diner named Show-maker's Grille, a few minutes before four. The place was small, but nice looking. It was a nice day, barely a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze fighting off the heat.

Shaking my head, I turned off the engine. I couldn't help the spark of excitement spreading through me at the thought of finally hanging out with Holly again. It had been too long.

Stepping through the doorway, I found myself with an armful of red hair. "Well hello to you too Holly." I said, chuckling.

She pulled back grinning. "Always good to see you, mudboy."

"I see you really have decided to call me that."

She nodded, and I threw a playful glare her way. Shaking my head, I took her hand and sat her down at an empty table. "Nice place isn't it."

She smiled. "I think so. It's welcoming."

"Are we eating food, or are we just here for the karaoke?" I ask

She shrugged. "It's up to you. It depends on if you want to eat before you sing."

I spluttered. "W-what? I am not singing!"

Holly pouted, and I found it hard not to collapse under her gaze. "Please Artemis? I feel like you're a good singer. I want to know if I'm right?"

Normally, I was stone cold towards anything I didn't want to do, but I found myself buckling under her puppy eyes. Sighing, I slumped. "Fine." I muttered, crossing my arms.

A huge smile lighted her face, and she beamed at me for a few seconds before pulling me up. "Come on, I want to hear you." she said

I rolled my eyes, but allowed her to drag me to the small stage at the front of the diner. Luckily, there wasn't many people in the room. Walking onto the stage, I searched through their machine until I found a song I knew. Smiling a little at a familiar title, I pushed play and walked over to the microphone.

The few people who were in the room were all looking at me, and I realized they were all people I knew - most of them being Holly's coworkers - and a few friends of mine from school. How this happened, I did not know, but I decided to ignore it. The music began playing, and I blocked everything out. It was just me and the song now.

_No one knows what it's like, _

_to be the bad man,_

_to be the sad man, _

_behind blue eyes. _

The lyrics showed up on a small television, but I didn't need it. Early in my life, I had listened to this song and grown fond of it. I knew it by heart.

_And no one knows what it's like, _

_to be hated, _

_to be faded,_

_to telling only lies. _

My eyes fell on Holly who was grinning up at me, what seemed like admiration filling up her eyes. I smiled slightly back at her, causing her to blush, and focused my attention back on the song, all the while keeping a discreet eye on her.

_But my dreams, _

_they aren't as empty, _

_as my conscious seems, _

_to be. _

_I have hours,_

_only lonely._

_My love is vengeance, _

_that's never free._

I had chosen a shortened version of the song, since there was a part in the middle that was strange. I doubted anyone could sing it.

I finished the song, and tried to ignore the clapping from the small audience. I walked over to Holly, who was once again beaming. "You were great!" she said

I smiled. "Thanks. Now it's your turn."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she opened her mouth to say something when my phone went off. Taking it out, I found the caller I.D. was Butler. Knowing he wouldn't call me unless it was something important, I answered immediately, a slight frown on my face. "Yes Butler? Is something wrong?"

"Artemis, I've received some important information."

"Information about what?"

"It's about your father."

* * *

**Alrighty then. I felt like updating today so I did. Thanks for the feedback last chapter - and of course every other one before. **

**IMPORTANT: So I was writing a bunch yesterday and the day before, and when I went and checked on them today, I found that I had lost pretty much everything. I like being ahead on my chapters - usually at least three - so I can update twice a week, but I now have absolutely nothing ahead of this one. I wanted to publish so I could tell you guys it might be a little longer before the next chapter is up. This is not a hiatus - it will only be two weeks at most depending on how fast I get done - I just want to write a few chapters before I start publishing again. I believe it will take at the very least a week and a half to get back to updating. This week and next week are very busy ones for me - I've got multiple performances and I need to find some time to hang out with my friend before she moves to California. Please be patient, and I'll tell you guys if something extra pops up and it takes longer than I expected. **

**Okay, done with the rambling. I don't know if I needed to tell you guys that it might be a little longer than usual, but I thought Eh, why not. **

**Thanks again for the support with this story. You guys are wonderful!**

**Until next time!**

**Oh by the way, have any of you read Looking For Alaska by John Green? I literally just finished it an hour ago and OH MY GOD it is so good. I decided to do what Alaska in the book did, and collect a bunch of books in a 'Life Library'. If you guys have any good books/series for me to read, please let me know! **


	8. Chapter 8

_"Yes Butler? Is something wrong?"_

_"Artemis, I've received some important information."_

_"Information about what?" _

_"It's about your father."_

* * *

**Artemis POV**

At those words, I froze. The world began to sway, and I found myself unable to breathe. Ignoring Holly's worried gaze, I clutched the phone tighter, holding it as close to my ear as possible. "What did you find out?" I asked, trying to keep my emotions out of my voice.

My mind was in chaos. Hundreds of thoughts and emotions were running through my head, underneath a layer of anxiety. What information had Butler found? Had my father been found? Was he alive? Was he dead? As much as I hate to admit it, my mind automatically ruled out the last one as the most probable.

"His kidnappers contacted me a few minutes ago via email. They sent a video. You might want to see it yourself."

"Okay. Have you traced it?" I asked

"No. Not with the equipment we have. I'll find someone."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Alright, I'll be home in a few minutes."

I hung up and turned to Holly, a curious look on her face. "What was that about?" she asked

I shook my head. "It's hard to explain, I don't have time at the moment. I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check on hearing you sing, I really have to go."

She nodded, a sad look in her eyes. "O-okay. When can you hang out again?"

I smiled sadly. "I don't know. I'm sorry Holly, I have to go. I'll call you later and we can go out for coffee. I'll tell you what's going on then, okay?"

She nodded, and my smile widened a little. Deciding to go with what my mind was telling me to do, I put my hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek, before pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry about this Holly. See you later."

She nodded numbly. "It's okay. See you."

I let go of her and turned around, walking out the door. It took all of my strength not to look back.

* * *

Pulling into the driveway, I turned off the engine and hopped out of the car. Walking briskly - while trying to look at least a little dignified - I rushed into the front room. Butler was waiting for me, a hard look on his face. I was not fooled though, his eyes were joyous, this was good news.

"What have you heard Butler?"

He cleared his throat and stepped aside to show me a picture sent through email. It showed a man, bruised and bloody. He barely looked human. His face and body was marred by cuts and bruises - he was even missing an entire leg - but even through all that, I could still tell who this man was.

"Father..." I whispered.

Butler nodded. "The manor received a message a few minutes ago, from a hospital in Russia. They said they found a man lying on their front steps whom they believed to be your father, and sent a picture with it."

I nodded, unable to speak. A lump formed in my throat, and I was trying with all I had to hold back my tears. "When - when will he be able to come home?" I asked, trying to ignore the shaking of my voice.

"It will be a few months Artemis, he's in bad shape."

I nodded, and sat down, staring at the picture in front of me. It was clear this man - my father - had been through a lot.

Clearing my throat, I stood up. "I am going to inform mother."

Butler nodded, but I did not miss the worried look in his eyes. Deciding against asking if something was wrong - if there was he would tell me - I headed up the stairs to the attic.

Stepping into the dim room, I noticed once again that my mother was just a lump under the blankets.

"Mother?" I called, hoping she would respond.

A shift came from the bed and her frail head poked out, her once beautiful blond hair limp and oily, sticking up in random places.

"What?" she asked, voice sounding miserable.

"Father has been found. He is alive, and will be able to come home in a few months."

A scoff came from the woman in front of me. "Why do you lie to me boy?" she snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"I said why do you lie to me? You and I both know that your father is dead and has been for months. He is not coming home, not now and not ever. How can you stand yourself, telling lies to your poor old mother when you're the one who got your father killed in the first place!"

Her breath came out ragged and loud, as if she had just ran a marathon, and I stood there in the doorway. I was completely frozen, unable to believe what my mother had just said.

A few seconds later, she caught her breath and renewed her glare at me. "Why are you still in here? Leave!"

With that, she threw a vase at me. Still in a daze, I was unable to react fast enough, and the item landed on me, shattering on top of my head. Feeling blood run down my temple, I staggered out of the room. I grabbed the railing of the stairs as a wave of dizziness came over me - it was all I could do not to collapse.

As soon as he saw me, Butler rushed over, assessing the damage. "Artemis, are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yes. Yes I'm fine. If you'll excuse me." I pushed past him and stumbled into my bedroom, collapsing on top of the bed. Focusing on calming my breathing - and shoving back the tears that were, once again, welling up - I reached for my phone and dialed the first number that came to mind.

The phone picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

My breath hitched at the familiar voice, a few teardrops falling down my face.

My voice was shaking as I said her name, coming out in a croak, as if I hadn't talked in ages.

"Holly"

* * *

**Holly POV**

I didn't even bother to ask what was wrong.

He asked me to come.

So I did.

I don't think I'd ever moved so fast in my life.

Something had happened, and he needed help. Or comfort. It didn't matter. Whatever it was, I'd give it to him.

Ten minutes later, I pulled my shitty car into his drive way, and flew out the door, not even bothering to turn off the engine. I ran up the steps and through the front door without even knocking. Butler looked at me wearily, but let me through.

Frantically, I made my way up the stairs to where I knew Artemis's room was. Knowing I shouldn't just barge in there, I stopped to catch my breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." I heard a faint voice say

Trying not to seem too frenzied, I opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, and I gasped at what I saw. Artemis was sitting on his bed, staring out his window. Blood was slowly trickling down the side of his face from somewhere on his head. I sighed. "Oh Artemis, what happened?"

He turned to look at me, and forced a smile. "There was an accident. Nothing to worry about. Everything is completely under control."

I raised an eyebrow. "If everything was completely under control Artemis, you wouldn't be bleeding. Come here, let me see your head."

He sighed and rolled his eyes, but I didn't miss the slight wince on his face as he stood up. Sitting down in front of me, I immediately set to work. I looked at his head, which had a fairly deep gash embedded with small shards of glass. Hissing through my teeth, I ran to his bathroom where I assumed a medical kit was, and ran back to him. "Artemis, the wound is deep. It might need a couple stitches."

He let out a shaky breath, and closed his eyes. "Do whatever you think is necessary."

I nodded, and got to work. Taking a pair of tweezers, I began to remove the glass. My heart ached every time he winced. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but he was obviously in pain.

Once I'd finished pulling out the shards, I cleaned the wound. Inspecting it closer, I decided it would heal fine without stitches, and wrapped it up. "You don't need stitches Artemis, but you need to be careful. Do not, I repeat, do not, get your hair wet until the wound closes up more and I say you can. You don't want to reopen it. Understand?"

He nodded. "You're pretty good at this kind of thing." he commented

I shrugged, sitting down next to him. "I wanted to be a doctor all throughout high school, or a police officer. I learned."

He smiled and leaned back against his wall, releasing another breath and closing his eyes. My smile faded, and worry clouded my thoughts.

"Artemis, what happened?"

His eyes fluttered open, and for a few moments, we just stared at each other in silence. "My father is alive. He's in a hospital in Russia."

I brightened up. "That's great Artemis! But how did that cause this?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I told my mother. She didn't believe me."

My face fell. "Oh Artemis. I'm so sorry."

He shrugged, furrowing his brow. "It's okay. I just wasn't able to dodge the vase."

I shook my head, anger swirling around my head. What kind of mother would do this to her child? Artemis needed a female figure to look up to, he needed a mother. And his own was doing a shitty job. I stood up, determination on my features.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked

I looked at him defiantly, daring him to stop me. "I'm having a little talk with your mother."

His eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. "No. No Holly it's fine. When my father comes back-"

"Shut up."

He did just that.

"You need a mother Artemis. And frankly, she's not doing a great job at that. She needs to get her shit together, now, and I'm going to make her whether she likes it or not."

He stared at me silently, begging me not to. I knew there was a large possibility to have a vase thrown at me - how many vases were in her room anyways? - but I didn't care. Artemis didn't move to stop me, so I walked out the door, head held high. It was time to set things straight.

* * *

Walking up to the room housing Artemis's mother, I slammed the door open. I watched the fragile woman in front of me bolt up, staring at me in fear in confusion. I didn't care, I kept on walking until I was right next to the bed. Leaning down, I put my face close to hers, and my voice came out as a hiss.

"You are a horrible mother."

She stared at me in shock, eyes wide and mouth open. She said nothing so I continued, though I backed up a bit.

"You left Artemis all on his own. Do you know how sad he's been? You've caused him nothing but hell! Because what? Your husband disappeared? Well, I agree that's a horrible thing, but what you did was not fair to your son. You broke down, letting him deal with his grief on his own. Parents are supposed to be strong for their children, you know that right? You're not doing a very good job. Artemis is the one who has to be strong. Strong for you, strong for himself. But you have no idea. None at all. You have no idea how much he is suffering! Knowing that his mother is crazy, and can't do anything for herself let alone him. Mothers are supposed to comfort their son. So why don't you get your shit together, and do something? Be the mother you're supposed to be! Stop wallowing in your self pity and help your son!"

My breath came out shallow and jumpy, as if I'd just ran a marathon. Angeline Fowl stared up at me, her jaw hanging open. I might have gone a little too far, but I would do anything to make her see sense.

Eventually, her face hardened, and her glazed stare became a full on glare.

"Get out." she hissed

I looked at her defiantly. "Not until I know you're going to start being a mom."

She bristled, but her glare remained hard. "I said get out! Now leave before I call Butler!"

I shrugged. "Fine. But if I find out you're still stuck in the past, I'll be back."

With that, I swept out of the room, knowing I'd gotten through to her, at least a little bit.

* * *

**Artemis POV**

After Holly had left my room, I waited a few minutes before following her. I didn't dare go near her, so I waited at the bottom of the stairs to the attic.

A few minutes later, I heard a door slam, and footsteps stomping down the stairs. I watched Holly storm past me, into the front room. She was fuming.

"I hope I've gotten through to her Artemis. I don't know if I did. I tried the best I could."

I shook my head. "It's fine Holly."

She nodded, her eyes closing for a brief second. "I should probably go. See you."

My smile faded, but I nodded. "Okay. See you later then."

Once she was gone, I slumped, leaning against the wall. A sigh escaped my lips, and my eyes found the floor extremely interesting.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs made me look up, and I froze, a sight I never thought I'd see so soon before me.

"Arty?"

I broke into a large smile, and straightened.

"Mother."

* * *

**Oh my gosh I feel so bad. I haven't updated in so friggin long. I'm so sorry guys. I meant to update sooner, I just got busy. Anyways, in order to be kind to you guys, I'm going to update sooner than next Saturday. Well, I guess I kind of have to update before hand since I'm planning a romantic candle lit dinner for a couple lesbians. Anyways, thank you so much for staying with me. Some Arty/Holly fluff is coming up soon. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, it's still TheDemonsRedRose here, I just changed my username. I don't know if it's showing yet, since it's not showing for me, but I am now FallingStarsAndPaperFlowers. Anyways, here's the next chapter. I feel bad, I told you guys I would update before Saturday, and lookee here, it's Sunday. And it's also raining. When did that happen? **

**Since I didn't update when I said I would, I decided to update today as I got a good inspiration from this chapter from a couple really cool pics. **

**Anyways, so things are starting to look up for Artemis. Yaaaay!**

**Here's the next chapter, thanks for being so patient with me!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs made me look up, and I froze, a sight I never thought I'd see so soon before me._

_"Arty?"_

_I broke into a large smile, and straightened._

_"Mother."_

* * *

**Artemis POV**

We just looked at each other for a few moments, both unsure of what to do. Eventually, she broke the silence.

"Oh Arty I'm so sorry. I haven't been a good mother."

I shook my head. "It's perfectly fine."

My voice broke on the word 'fine', causing her to smile.

"Well, come give your mother a hug."

She held out her arms, standing as straight as she could. My smile grew wider, and I began to walk briskly - I did not run - over to her.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like a kid again. I had a mother, I didn't have to be alone anymore.

I pulled away, hands on her shoulders, a huge smile gracing my face, matching the one on her own.

Wiping some water off my face, I frowned and looked up. "We really must fix that leak."

She laughed and shook her head, smiling fondly. "Always so dramatic."

Because contrary to popular belief, I was most certainly not crying.

* * *

My mother was very weak after months of being trapped in her own mind, and couldn't spend too much time up and moving. I took her back to her room and laid her on her bed. Smiling slightly, I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Get some sleep mother. You have a lot a head of you. You'll need the energy."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Thank you Arty." she whispered

Quietly, I stepped out of the room and shut the door. I stood for a few seconds, trying to gather my thoughts. Walking down the stairs, I grabbed my coat and stepped out the front door, met with hundreds of small drops of water falling from the sky onto my face. I had no idea when it had started to rain, just an hour ago the sky was clear and sunny. I didn't bother with an umbrella, nor putting up my hood. It was pouring so hard that I was soaked in a matter of seconds, but I didn't care. I ran to my car and started driving. Holly had left a few minutes ago, and was walking. It wouldn't take long to catch up to her.

A few minutes later, I saw her hunched figure walking along the side of the road. I had no idea why she hadn't taken her car, it was in the driveway, but it didn't matter. I pulled over and ran up to her, immediately grabbing her into a hug. "Thank you." I whispered

She pulled away, her eyes wide. "What? What did I do?"

I smiled, ignoring the fact that the rain wasn't the only thing streaming down my face. "You, I don't know what you did. Holly, I have my mother back. She's back! I- I'm going to have a mother and a father."

Her eyes became larger - if that was even possible. "M-me?" she spluttered

I nodded, laughing, and twirled her around in my arms. Before I realized what I was doing, I pulled her into me, smashing our lips together. After a few seconds, I realized what was happening, and pulled away, looking at the ground. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

I was cut off my her hand on my face, silencing me with just a simple touch. "Shut up." she said

We stared at each other for a few moments, then brought our lips together once more. My body was tingling, my heart was racing. I had no idea what this feeling was, but I like it.

I wanted more.

* * *

**Holly POV**

I couldn't believe it.

I was kissing Artemis Fowl.

I wasn't a fan of cheesy romance, I'd always found it disgusting how they always said that sparks flew and all that shit. It had disgusted me, and still did.

And sparks did not fly, nor did I want them to. I was kissing Artemis Fowl, and I liked it. That was all I needed.

My heart was racing, body flushed and tingling. It was exhilarating. It was amazing.

A few seconds later, we broke away, resting our foreheads against each other's. My breathing was slightly ragged, as was his, and both of us were soaked to the bone. The rain was still pouring down ruthlessly, never ceasing in it's attack. Our bodies were racked with shivers. I knew we had to get out of the rain soon, but I ignored the though.

I smiled, and wrapped my arms around the man in front of me. He did the same, and we stood there for what felt like hours, hugging on the side of the street. Artemis pulled away. "Well... that was..."

"Amazing." I finished

He nodded, twirling some of my soaking hair around his finger. The soft smile that graced his face, although happy, had a bit of sadness behind it. Furrowing my brow, I took his hand. "Come on. Let's go to my place and have some coffee."

He nodded, and walked me to his car, opening the door for me like a proper gentleman would. Normally I wouldn't accept that kind of thing, but Artemis was different.

* * *

We walked into my house a few minutes later, still dripping wet and shivering. I grinned at the man beside me, and grabbed a couple towels from the bathroom, along with some random clothes of my dads that I still had.

"Dry yourself off. Put these clothes on while yours dry. Wouldn't want you catching a cold would we?"

He smiled at me, and walked to the bathroom with the clothes and towel. I changed in my bedroom and walked out to Artemis sitting on the couch. I made us each a cup of coffee, and handed him his before plopping down next to him, laying my head on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Artemis?"

He looked down at me. "What? Why would something be wrong?"

I sat up, looking at him straight on. "Something's bugging you. I can tell. What's wrong Artemis."

He sighed, and looked away, taking a small sip of the steaming drink. "It's nothing, just stupid little thoughts."

I hardened my gaze. "Artemis, please just tell me. It's not nothing if it's affecting you this much."

He shook his head. "It's stupid, really."

I glared at him, and he deflated, giving in. "I just don't want to hurt you Holly." he whispered

I scoffed. "Hurt me? Why would you do that Artemis?"

"It's what I do."

I shook my head, frowning. "Artemis, what are you talking about?"

He shrugged, refusing to look up at me. "You wouldn't understand... it's... I can't explain it."

"Try Artemis. Try to explain it. For me."

"I..." he paused for a moment, before continuing with a voice barely loud enough to hear. "I break everything I touch."

My eyes widened, and my gaze softened. I never though that Artemis, my Artemis, would ever feel that way. He was so confident, so proud. He kept on going even when things got hard. "Oh Artemis, why in the world would you think that?"

He shook his head again, eyes wide and filled with an emotion I couldn't quite make out. "I should have tried harder to keep him from going. I shouldn't have let him walk out that door. It's all my fault."

Something inside me broke as I realized what he was talking about. I wrapped my arms around him, his body wracked with sobs. "It's not your fault Artemis. You couldn't have known."

He broke away from me, something fierce in his eyes. "That's not true. I knew, I knew this would happen. I knew and I didn't stop it!"

His breathing was erratic, and tears were streaming down his face. I'd never seen him this broken, and secretly hoped I would never have to again.

"Artemis, what do you mean?"

"I... the day before he left I received an email. It was a threat, telling me that my father's ship would be shot down. I didn't take it seriously. I asked him not to go, yes, but I didn't try to stop him from leaving. I could've stopped him. I should've tried harder. I could have stopped this from happening. It's my fault he's hurt..."

I felt tears well up in my own eyes, and anger filled up my chest. "Shut up Artemis. How old were you when this happened? Twelve? Thirteen? How were you supposed to know this would happen? You couldn't have known that message was genuine. Artemis, you are not to blame for this. Your father is alive, and it's not your fault he was ever hurt."

"But-"

"No buts Artemis. This wasn't your fault and that's final, you've done nothing wrong. Nothing at all."

He shook his head, but his tears had dried up and a small smile was on his face. "I don't deserve you." He said, pushing my bangs from my eyes.

I grinned, leaning down to kiss him. "I completely agree."

* * *

Artemis called Butler to tell him that he was staying at my place, and we sat on the couch watching cheesy shows and pointing out plot holes and mistakes in the facts. I cooked us a microwave dinner at eight, and we stayed up talking for another couple hours. By ten, Artemis's eyes were starting to droop, and I led him into my room.

I didn't know if he was comfortable sleeping in the same bed yet, so I tucked him in and made my way back to the couch. I knew he would feel bad about taking my bed in the morning, but I didn't care.

At around one in the morning, I was woken by a noise in the other room. I got up and walked to the door, and heard Artemis tossing and turning in the bed, muttering incomprehensible words. I stepped into the room as his mutterings grew louder and distinct enough to make out words.

"No... please... don't go. Please, not again. No... mother... please... don't do this..."

I hated seeing him in distress, so I walked over to the bed to try to wake him. As soon as I touched his shoulder, his talking grew louder. "N-no, don't touch me. I didn't do anything to you!"

He bolted upright, nearly smacking my in the head with his own. He was panting, with sweat dripping down his forehead. I put my hand on his shoulder again. "Artemis?" I whispered

He looked over at me, recognition in his eyes. "Holly."

I sat down on the bed next to him, putting my arms around him. "Shh... It's okay now Artemis. You're okay."

He nodded into my shoulder, grabbing the fabric of my shirt in tight fists. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, and I nodded. "Okay. That's okay. Do you want me to stay with you?"

He nodded, and I tucked him back under the covers, snuggling under with him. I kept my arms around him, a constant reminder that he wasn't alone. "Goodnight Artemis."

"Goodnight." he whispered

He fell asleep within a few minutes, breathing deep and evenly. I put my head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. It was steady, good. Closing my eyes, I kept my head where it was. If he had another nightmare, I'd be able to hear it.

I fell asleep listening to his steady breathing, and I couldn't help but think everything about his was beautiful, including things that were necessary for survival. Even his heartbeat.

* * *

**So it's a little shorter than the other chapters, but it's still over 2,000 words. I will do my best to update on Wednesday, otherwise expect the next chapter Saturday. Thank you everyone who's been supporting this story. You guys are so amazing. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Artemis POV**

* * *

The first thing I noticed as I began to wake up was how comfortable I was. Something warm was up pressed up against my chest, my arms wrapped around the figure. Feeling the cold air on my back, I snuggled closer to the warmth.

After a moment, I realized the warmth was moving. It was breathing. My eyes snapped open and I came face to face with Holly, still fast asleep. I stared at her for a moment, taking in the raw beauty of her features. While she was stunning, she was not the most beautiful person I had ever seen. At least, not in the way society thinks of 'beautiful'.

In society, we think of beautiful, when it comes to people, as delicate and fake. Holly was anything but that. She was strong and courageous, and completely real. There was nothing fake about her. If I thought of beauty as society's standards, Holly was far from beautiful. I didn't like to think like that though. In my mind, she was the most beautiful, stunning thing I had ever seen.

How she could be so true to herself always amazed me. She was so open, about her emotions, her thoughts, everything. She stated her mind, and had no fears about doing so. I was not like that - and new I could never get anywhere close to that. I couldn't help but feel lucky to have met her.

While she was asleep, she did seem a bit fragile, but everyone looks that way when they are unconscious. Her eyes were closed, and there were no creases on her brow. She looked peaceful, her red lips parted a bit to breath.

I watched her for a little longer, in a daze, when she started to stir. She did what I had done earlier - moved closer to the warmth holding thing that is my body - and a small blush crept onto my face. I knew she wouldn't care - we had kissed multiple times the night before, and I assumed that meant we were dating - but it was still awkward for me. My entire life, I had never had much physical contact with other humans. My mother hugged every once in a while, but my father was not a fan of touching.

Holly's hazel eyes opened slowly, revealing their true beauty. She stared at me for a second, and then remembered what had happened. A blush crept up onto her own face, but neither of us moved. We couldn't deny it - the position was very comfortable.

"Good morning Artemis." She whispered

I smiled at her, the heat on my face backing off a bit now. "Morning Holly."

"We should probably get up."

I shrugged as well as I could the way I was laying, and hummed. "Yes, we probably should. But do either of us want to?"

She laughed a tinkling laugh, the sound echoing through the room. "I don't think so."

"So, there's our answer right there. Let's stay right here."

She nodded, and scooted closer once again, resting her head back on my chest. She could hear my heartbeat, and I was thankful it wasn't beating extremely fast. It was slow and steady. I was completely comfortable, so it had no reason not to be.

We stayed there for a while, and eventually we both fell back to sleep.

How I wish we could have stayed that way.

* * *

**Holly POV**

I was woken up a couple hours later by my phone ringing somewhere in my house. Sighing, I threw the blanket off of Artemis and I, reluctant to leave his warmth, and got up. The movement woke him up, and he looked up at me with tired blue eyes. "What's going on?" he asked

"My phone's ringing. Gotta go answer it, I'll be back in a second."

I walked out of the room, aware of Artemis's eyes following my every move, and found my phone on the coffee table by the couch. Reaching down, I answered it. "Hello?"

* * *

**Artemis POV**

Watching Holly exit the room, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Stupid phone, ringing when I was so comfortable.

A few minutes later, a small crash from the other room startled me, and I jumped out of the bed running to where I'd heard the sound. I saw Holly on the ground, staring at the phone she had dropped on the floor. I knelt down beside her, touching her shoulder softly.

"Holly?"

She slowly moved her eyes to look at me, horror contorting her face.

"Holly? Holly what's wrong?"

She shook her head, tears leaking from her amber eyes. I put both my hand on her shoulders, turning her body to face me. "Holly." I said voice stern "What is wrong?"

She opened her mouth to reply, and froze for a second, just staring at me. Eventually, she began to speak. "I-I, Artemis someone called and they... they threatened your father. They told me they'd kill him and you if I didn't do what they said."

My eyes widened. "Shit." I muttered

Wrapping my arms all the way around her, I began to rub soothing circles on her back as she shook. "Holly, do you have any idea who might have sent this message to you?"

She shook her head, and I decided not to push her anymore. She needed to calm down before she could tell me what happened. Gently, I picked her up and carried her back to her bed. I tucked her in and began to walk away when her hand shot out to grip my sleeve.

"W-wait Artemis. Stay." She whispered, looking down.

I smiled softly. "Of course."

She pulled the covers up for me, and I crawled in beside her, pulling her petite body to my chest. "It's okay Holly. It'll be okay."

* * *

For a couple hours, I let her sleep. I tried, I really did, but my mind was racing a hundred miles per hour. Who would do something like this? Why now? Why was this happening to Holly of all people?

I needed to know who had called her, but I didn't want to wake her up. She needed rest.

Eventually, Holly began to stir, and I sat up beside her, waiting for her eyes to open.

Her eyelids separated, her hazel eyes meeting my own. They were still troubled, but not as much as before. I smiled softly at her as she sat up, wrapping an arm around her slim shoulders. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I took a deep breath. "Holly, you have nothing to worry about. Butler and I will track that caller, we'll find them, and everything will be fine, okay?"

She nodded, and I squeezed her gently. I had a feeling that whoever had made that call had not been serious. He or she was just some stupid kid pulling a cruel prank on someone to try to gain something. Whoever did this, once I found them, would wish they had never even thought of the idea of this stupid prank.

* * *

**Holly POV**

Artemis went home a little while later, taking my phone and telling me he'd be back as soon as he had any news on who had called me. I was agitated; afraid of what might happen. He had explained to me that he thought the entire threat was just a prank some idiot was trying to pull, but it still stressed me out. I couldn't risk their lives.

I tried to occupy myself throughout the day until I heard from Artemis, but I found myself unable to distract my mind from the thoughts running through it. Pessimistic thoughts ran through my head, plaguing me like a disease. I found myself worrying over the smallest thing, and paranoia was beginning to consume me.

When I hadn't heard from Artemis after four hours, I convinced myself that something terrible had happened to him - even though logic assumed he was simply having troubles tracing the call.

Two hours later, Artemis finally showed up, sporting a small smile. "Good news. Well, good and bad. The threat wasn't real, it really was just a prank."

Releasing the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding, I smiled at him. "Do you know who it was?"

"Butler and I managed to trace the call to one Opal Koboi. I wasn't able to find much on her; she's extremely careful about what she puts out on the internet. There's no pictures, no personal information. It took us hours just to trace the call to her..."

He trailed off when he saw I wasn't responding. "Holly, is everything alright?"

I jumped. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Umm... we actually don't need any information on her."

"Why is that?"

"Because I know her."

he raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded. "She gave me some trouble back when I was still in school. She's a real bitch. I'm really not at all surprised that she's the one behind this."

Artemis nods, and pulls me into a hug. I squeeze him back, burying my face into his shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice

"Yeah. I'll be fine now that I know it's not real."

I felt him smile into my hair. "Good. Now, how about we figure out a way to teach this Opal Koboi not to mess with Holly Short?"

Grinning, I pulled away from him. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

In the end, we decided on the childish - and ultimately illegal - decision of egging her car. Although Artemis was hesitant at first, as was I, the idea grew on us. That, of course, wasn't the only idea we had. But at that moment, it seemed like the most fun. Other than full out killing her, which I knew neither of us could really do. It's not like she was evil.

So we went to the store and bought two dozen eggs from the supermarket, and found our way to her house by memory. The only reason I knew where she lived was because she threw a party eighth grade year, which I, like the idiot I was, went to. It was probably the single most embarrassing night of my entire life.

We stepped out of the car, each with a carton of eggs. For a second, we just stood there, staring at each other. Then he cracked a smile, and I couldn't help but grin, and the throwing began.

Half-way through our cartons, Opal's mother came out. "What is going on?" she yelled

Artemis looked at her innocently. "You see Ma'am, your daughter has wronged my friend Holly here greatly, and we are simply giving her what she deserves. I recommend you go back in your house and forget this ever happened." He took it all in stride, as if he had done this kind of thing before, and never once hesitated in his words.

Opal's mother stared at us for a few more seconds, before turning around and walking back into the house. The look on her face was so confused, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Where did that come from?" I laughed, gasping for breath

My companion shrugged. "You make it seem like you're the innocent one, turn the whole situation around on them. Works like a charm."

I shook my head, laughing once again.

We finished throwing our eggs, and I hid a fish I had bought when we got the eggs inside the car. It would be smelling for weeks before she'd find it, and another month after that in this heat.

Once we'd run out of revenge tools, we got back in his car and drove away. The sun was beginning to set, but neither of us wanted to go home yet. Instead, Artemis drove us to the park in the middle of town. It had this beautiful glass sculpture that reflected the sunlight beautifully. We sat in the green grass, his arm around me and my head on his shoulder, watching the sunset reflecting in the glass.

Looking up at the boy beside me, I felt affection swell up in my chest. He was so beautiful, in the sense that a sunset or a painting is beautiful. His amazingly dark hair contrasted perfectly with his pale, but not too pale, skin. His bright blue eyes stood out magnificently from the rest of his features, accented even more by his sharp features and full lashes.

If you denied that he was good looking, you would have to be blind.

If you denied he was funny, you had to be deaf.

If you denied he was amazing, well, something must be extremely wrong with you.

He was all those things, and more. So, much, more.

And most importantly,

He was mine.

* * *

**Okay, so I know the ending was cheesy, but I don't care. **

**Thanks for reading. Soon here, Artemis's dad is going to come home. Hehe. **

**Till next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys. I'm so so sorry about the long wait for the next chapter. I'm afraid though, that this isn't it. I know you guys must hate me for not updating, and I apologize for this note not being part of the story. I have no idea why, but for the past months I've been experiencing terrible writers block for this story, and for a while I'd had no desire to write anything whatsoever. While the desire has come back to me, and I've gotten ideas for other stories, I haven't had any ideas for this one. Because of this, I've decided to go on a short hiatus for this story - no, I'm not discontinuing it - I'm just taking a short break. Again, I'm so so sorry. I've started to get more ideas for stories, but sadly nothing for this one. I don't want to write this while I have no inspiration for it because the quality will drop pitifully low compared to my other chapters. I thank you guys for your patience with me, and I ask you to just wait a little longer. I've thought a lot about this story, and I believe my writers block will be gone within the next couple months. As soon as it is, I'll be updating as much as my schedule will allow me. Thank you all for staying with me through this, I will be back with this story. **

**P.S. You will probably be seeing other stories coming from me. As I said, I've had ideas for more, but nothing for this fic. If you wish to read those, go ahead. I'd greatly appreciate the support. Hopefully, inspiration for this story will come from writing those.**


	12. Author's note

**Hello again my friends. I believe I have found inspiration for this story once again! The one thing is, I was reading through it again, and am really mad at how I wrote it. I could write it a LOT better, and that is what I am going to do. For the next few weeks I am going to be rewriting the chapters I've already published, there is a lot of potential to them, and I want to make this story even better for you guys. **

**You shall be seeing from me soon, and thank you all for your continued support.**


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